Have you ever had a week that seemed like everything went awry? Did your oven burn out in a kind of spectacular fireworks display? Did your automatic toaster lose its spring action, so it no longer sails the luscious raisin toast into the air but instead just burns the bread and torches the raisins? Did your clothes dryer go kaput and feel, to your touch, like a refrigerator freezer? Did your transmission whimper and then explode? Well, you get the picture.
If you are the kind of person who merely asks for more skills rather than wishing you had fewer problems, then I'll bet you either fixed all of your inconveniences on your own or you paid close attention as each repairperson handled the repairs. If you are a writer, who is compelled to write, then you have taken your problems and are turning them into cash.
You, doubtless, turned the repairperson's work session into an interview and collected information on how to purchase appliances that have more staying power and how to prevent appliance failure. For example, recently I learned from a handsome clerk at a discount appliance parts shop that there are four main reasons an oven heating element burns out prematurely -- touching aluminum foil to the element, getting oven cleaner on the unit, using the self-cleaning option too often, and experiencing electrical power surges. Then, of course, there is the natural death of the heating unit after many years of faithful service, which is what happened to the one in my kitchen. After I installed a new heating element, though, you can bet that with that bonus knowledge this new one can be assured of lasting a very long time, too. This time, instead of unwittingly taking good care of the unit, I will knowledgeably take excellent care of it.
So where could you place an article like "Making Your Appliances Last"? Well, think about it. How about pulling out your current Writer's Market from your bookcase of favorite books and checking to see if Progressive Rentals still sends complimentary sample copies and still accepts general interest and how-to articles. Last year's edition says so. See if the most current edition does, too. Then be sure to request a sample copy. Find out if PR has Writer's Guidelines and offers an Editorial Calendar. If so, get those, too. Study your sample copy meticulously up and down just like The Writer's Friend suggests. Would your article on "Making Your Appliances Last" fit in with the articles in your sample copy? If so, find past issues of the magazine in the library, if possible, to study a dozen or more issues. Query exactly as advised. Send photocopies of some of your relevant published articles if the editor requires queries and sample writing by post. If the editor prefers e-mail queries, offer URLs where your work appears.
At one point, Writer's Market reported that the publisher of Progressive Rentals paid up to $700.00 for First North American serial rights for around 2500 words. That $700.00 could buy about 23 new oven-heating elements if you buy the element at a discount appliance parts shop. Or that $700.00 can put raisin bread and butter on your table for quite awhile!
If it turns out that this magazine just would not be interested in "How to Make Your Appliances Last," then search for another publication that will. Search through WritersWeekly.com, too, for additional up-to-the-minute viable markets. What about magazines that cater to families who are trying to stretch their budgets? What about women's magazines, which know very well that women are great repairpersons? What about men's magazines that offer practical handyman advice? What about a dental magazine or an insurance magazine that is looking for general interest articles that take readers into a realm far removed from tooth whitening and life insurance? Yet, if your article discusses tips for maintaining your electric toothbrush or fire safety tips, respectively, your article can be directly related to these specialty magazines, too, if they do, indeed, offer this practical, commonsense information.
You especially can find writing ideas everywhere. Just be sure to pay attention to the experts who accommodate you during these times of inconvenience, and you can turn problems into cash, if you choose. I doubt that you will be wishing for problems, but when they do come, you won't be quite as bothered by them, and that's a plus for the making of a happier day.
Excerpted from Writing Tips Galore.
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